Stuck In Between
by raquelvalente91
Summary: Jello-Forever August Challenge. J/L & RJ
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **_Written for **Jello-Forever August Challenge**.  
_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing, except for every mistake you can find here._

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_**Past Tense: **__state of being in the past of the current moment._

He was stuck. Not literally of course, but still, he was stuck.  
He didn't know whether to keep looking at a past with his wife and daughter or live in the present and building his future with Teresa.

The feeling of being stuck started when Red John was killed.

**Two weeks prior**

He ran to Lisbon's office with a paper in his right hand.  
Not bothering to knock, he entered the office and startled the hell out of the Senior Agent.

"Jane, what the hell?"

After closing the blinds and locking the door, he turned to her, breathless.

"Jane are you ok?"

She noticed the paleness on his features and he had came to her office running like the world could end at any minute now.

"Lisbon, I need to show you something."

The Senior Agent rose from her chair and rounded the desk stepping closer to him.

"What is it Jane?"

He gave her the paper, his hands were shaking.  
He looked at her face as she read it. The shock and horror were a part of her features now.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Lisbon. I just don't know how could I have missed it."

"Jane, you know that this is dangerous."

"I need to do it Lisbon."

The paper had the coordinates to a cabin in the woods, giving them the exact location of Red John.

"Lisbon, I know we have our problems, but I need you to cover for me while I'm gone. I need to find him."

"I know you trust me enough to show me this Jane, but I won't let you go on your own."

"No. I need to do this alone."

"No Jane, you don't. I'm going with you."

He was furious. Was she really going to argue with him about this?

"Can't you see that I'm only trying to protect you?"

"Damn it Jane, I've told you once that I don't need your protection. I am quite able of taking care of myself."

"You don't understand."

Hell, was it so hard for him to let her in his persecution of the serial killer?

"Then make me understand Jane."

On impulse, he grabbed her arms and almost screamed at her, filled with rage.

"I can't let you go because I won't lose another woman I care about to him."

Silence filled the office and her eyes were brimming with tears.  
When she spoke, her voice was above a whisper.

"You are afraid to lose me?"

"Yes, I am."

"You don't have to be. No matter what happens Jane, you'll never going to lose me."

"Teresa..."

"And that's why I'll go with you."

"But I..."

"We'll do this together, and we'll solve our problems after that, together."

They were on the road in the next day. She left Cho in charge, since the case's were already close.

He was secretly glad she went with him.  
That was why he cared for her.  
Everytime he got stuck on something, she'd help him out.

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To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **_I am sooo sorry for the delay on this chapter guys. Promise I'll update faster.  
Enjoy.  
_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Mentalist, sorry to disapoint you._

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In just three months, Jane had discovered almost everything he wanted to know on his Senior Agent.

Teresa Lisbon was quite a woman. She had lost her mother at the tender age of 12, carried the burden of taking care of her three little brothers while taking the beatings from her father, who passed away when she was 15, just right before she went to College. In the three years that followed, she studied Criminology and Law, and after graduating, she went to the Police Academy.  
Placed in S. Francisco on the Homicides Unit, she was on her way up and after cracking a very important case, the CBI had recruited her. One year, that was all it took, for her to be the Senior Agent in charge of the Serious Crimes Unit.

Oh yeah, Teresa Lisbon was some woman. Although petite, she was a brave person and had the courage and strenght of a lion, and maybe that was why she was in charge of Red John's case file, maybe that was why in the 6 years he had been working with her she had become the only person he trusted and maybe that was why he didn't go after Red John without telling her first.

So now here they were, sharing a queen-size bed that was in the small bedroom of the crappy motel they found in New Orleans.

He glanced at her sleeping form and sighed.  
If it weren't for her he wouldn't be alive right now. She had saved him more than once, from suspects, killers and from himself.

So he was stuck.

Closing his tired eyes, he let his mind take him to a past where his wife and child were still alive.

_"Daddy, mom said you have to go to work."_

_"That's right sweetheart, but I'll be back soon."_

_"But if you go, you won't love me anymore, daddy."_

_He was shocked at his daughter's statement._

_"Rachel, that is not true. I love you and your mother more than anything, and trust me sweetheart, I'll never leave you."_

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

_His daughter hugged him and he felt her smile on his neck._

_"Pinky swear?"_

_He laughed. Without a doubt, his daughter had earned her cockiness from him._

_"Pinky swear. Now, how about I tell a story?"_

_"Yay!"_

An annoying and repetitive sound woke him up from his peaceful slumber.  
Opening his eyes and glaring at the innanimate source of the sound, he first realised it was past 7, and that his bedmate was nowhere to be found.  
He sighed, got up and went straight to the bathroom. Maybe a cold shower would ease his mind and make him foccus on what was going on.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **_Every single mistake is of my own creation.  
_**Disclaimer: **_?Say what?_

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Teresa always enjoyed running. It was the kind of release she needed right now.  
At exactly 6 am she left the motel room in her favourite black top and shorts and started running.

Taking very deep breaths through her nose, her thoughts drifted to whom she had left in the bed sleeping. He hadn't woken up not even once during the night, and as she watched him sleeping she noticed the peaceful look on his face, he looked a lot different in the day light, when his somber thoughts about Red John invaded his mind.

The murmur of a name in his sleep had her knowing about dreams of his family, of when tragedy hadn't strike, of when he was truly happy.  
She had read his file when he first joined the team, she knew about his family, about the TV show, about the serial killer, and after Bosco's death, she didn't care about the law anymore, that was why, when he told her he was going to follow a lead on Red John's whereabouts, she wanted to go with him, not caring about her future in the bureau either, wanting - needing - justice.

The adress Jane's contact gave him was a few miles distant from the place where they were right now, but they would leave first thing after lunch.  
If they were about to catch the serial killer, the best option would be the surprise. She would let Jane go in alone, and if after 5 minutes he didn't returned, she would go in and kill every single moving thing on the premises.

Sighing, she turned around and started running again, this time in the direction of the motel.

After having lunch at Jane's expenses (and only because he was threatening to hypnotize her) in the small town's diner, she drove them to New Jersey, where he was certain Red John was and would attack next.  
After spending the majority of the night awake, she could tell he was starting to feel nervous, otherwise his hands wouldn't hold a death-grip on the wheel, nor drops of cold sweat would travel in his face, marking his features. Ignoring the voice in her mind, she let her hand rest on his, and could feel his pulse turning steady once again.

She knew that in the confront between Red John and Jane only one of them would walk out, breathing. Jane had been really sweet when he said he was afraid to lose her, but she was a cop. Her presence was required in these types of situations and when he told her he would go to find Red John, she couldn't let him go by himself. He had saved her in the past, now it was her turn to do the same for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **_*cleans sweat* Finally! The last chapter, and please, by the end of this chapter, don't get mad at me...xD  
By the way, I'll try to update the next chapter of _**Imagine If **_today. I'm going camping with friends for a week (starting tomorrow) and I think I'm gonna need to need reviews and such when I get back :D__  
_**Disclaimer: **_? What? No._

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You smirk as you leave the cabin. Everything was neatly arranjed for when the pair arrived. You are thankful that you still have your connections, and if it wasn't for that beautiful red-head in their Unit, you wouldn't have known that Patrick and Teresa were ought to get you and you would be caught, you're sure of that.  
Patrick Jane is just like you, unpredictable, smart, arrogant, empowering, trustworthy... But there is the slight difference between the two of you. While you are considered to be a villain among the masses, Jane is the good guy, the kind of man that makes everybody want to be just like him. You reckon that he belonged to you from the day you murdered his wife and child. That had him caught in your trap. Right now you see your relationship as Tom & Jerry cartoon. You are the tricky mouse, of course, that when pissed beats the crap out of Jane, being Tom, who's always trying to get you.

You let out a chuckle at the thought. Unfortunately, life isn't a cartoon, and if the world is doing something wrong, you give yourself the power to punish it, by spreading the horror among people. Heck, you're sure that even in India they tremble when they hear your name.

But enough talking about you, get your attention back to Jane.  
Yes, he's the golden boy, the man who tries to make the world a better place to live by catching murderes like yourself. Forget that, they're not like yourself. You are the only one who can commit the perfect crime and walk away. You're not afraid to hide in the shadows, because there's nothing left to lose. You've already built a legacy that no serial killer will try to destroy, simply because they can't. You are **that** good.

You can imagine your life if Jane had been on your side. You two would conquer the world, make him cry in agony when they did something wrong.

Oh, what pleasure that would be.

But that would be if Jane had been a good boy and if he hadn't mocked you on live TV. And you have to admit that he's a good pawn to play with, not only because he's the only one (besides the Police) after you, but because you enjoy driving him insane when you play. It's fun to play with Patrick Jane. You can't lose, that's final.  
He's that incompetent to catch you.

Besides, how can a man who still lives in the past, who still clutches his wedding band, who still sleeps in a room where your trademark covers the wall, how can a miserable man who can't even see that his boss has the hots for him, catch you? The answer to that one is pretty obvious and you smirk once again.

You hear a car near the cabin and you hide. You can watch them through your cell, thanks to the program you downloaded and thanks to the cameras hiding in every single room of the cabin.

You see them walking inside the house and it only takes a minute before he knows you're gone. Her hand finds its place in his shoulder, comforting him and you smile wickedly. Everyone knows you prefer blondes, but the next time, maybe, you might attack a petite brunette who's currently been pulled to Jane's embrace. You know he won't be able to handle the pain twice.  
Sick of watching the entire team and after hearing her saying "We'll catch him next time", you walk away.

Next time, your ass. They'll never catch you. You're going to make him feel stuck in between the past, the present and the future, never letting him move on with his life. And that sick smile returns to your face.


End file.
